Forgiveness

Last week, we heard the sad story of the fifteen-year-old driver who collided with a train near Broadview.  The collision resulted in the death of his seven-year-old brother and eleven-year-old sister, as well as two friends, girls aged ten years and eighteen years. Such a tragic event and a sad loss of young lives.  One can only imagine the emotions the young driver is experiencing and the guilt and sadness he is surely feeling.

 My faith in human kindness and compassion has once again been validated upon hearing the father of the deceased ten-year-old speak words of comfort to the driver through the media.  How incredible that in his sorrow and heartache, this man who has just lost a young daughter, would find it in his heart to be concerned about the feelings and well-being of the driver.  Both parents spoke out to reassure this young man that they did not hold him responsible.  They said their daughter had died having fun with her best friends and that she had been having a wonderful summer holiday.  These wonderful people reached out to the driver with the message that  “with everything he’s going through with the collison, they wanted him to know they carry no hard feelings”. 

I wonder how many of us would be so compassionate after the loss of a child?  I think perhaps we would be too consumed with grief and bitterness to worry about the feelings of the driver. Would we want to lash out at the driver and blame him for killing our child?  Or would we be like these parents and consider that there is enough pain and sorrow and do what we could to ease the pain of a young man who will likely never totally overcome the guilt?  I think it is amazing these parents acted so quickly to reassure the driver of their faith in him and to tell him they did not hold him responsible.  To be so completely forgiving and concerned immediately after a personal tragedy is incredible.  I have no doubt this couple will work their way through their sorrow much quicker because of the love they have for others and because of their charitable act.  They will not have bitterness and blame getting in the way of their recovery. 

I think that out of this terrible event emerges the story we need to remember:  how one grieving couple reached out to offer words of comfort and support to a young man, and how they put their own grief on hold in order to give out that comfort and support.  I hope, as they do, that their words and actions will help a fifteen-year-old driver overcome his guilt and remorse,  and that he will be able to build a life for himself. Building a better world by caring for those around us . . .  it's a good thing!